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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · field · scale · last · pass · drill · bay · calf

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. scale — size or range
  4. last — finally
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. drill — army training
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. scale — in music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. field — for sport
  13. pit — a hole
  14. last — final
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. field — a subject
  20. last — to go on
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com